Married Life
by Squall-is-Cool
Summary: Rinoa's married with a four year old son. She's happy. Well mostly...
1. Part One: Commander

**Married Life**

Rinoa stood looking out the window waiting for her husbands return. Night was drawing in on the dreary day. A thunderstorm threatened to ensue. Fear lay heavy on her heart. It did every time he went out on a dangerous mission. She didn't really know why she was so afraid she knew he was a brilliant fighter...but she also knew there was always a chance...She shook her head pleading herself not to think that.

Rinoa just wished he would hurry home to her and their four-year-old son; she had something really important to tell him. She was grateful for the fact that he wouldn't have to go away again till another big mission came up, since he was the commander he only did the big missions, mostly for Rinoa's and his son's sake.

"Mummy?" Rinoa broke out of her thoughts as her son leaned against her. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "When's Daddy coming home? I miss 'im" Rinoa smiled, "I know, Sweety. He should be home soon." They stood there like that for a fair few minutes then a yawn from the child made Rinoa pull back from the window and walk her and the boy to the sofa where they sat down.

The rain began pouring down as Rinoa and her chid fell asleep on the sofa, the youth snuggled up on the upper half of the young woman's body.

Ten to twenty minutes later Squall came through the front door. He couldn't help but smile when he spotted the two people he had been missing for what felt like years fast asleep on the sofa. He went over and knelt down beside the sofa looking at their sleeping faces.

Rinoa still looked like she did seven years prior but with very subtle changes. His son (who he still looked at in awe sometimes and questioned: is he really my son?), Edea had said, looked nearly exactly like he did when _he_ was younger with very small hints of Rinoa in his features.

The child stirred and his blue eyes opened then widened, "Daddy!" he said loudly, throwing his arms around his father. "Shh." Squall whispered gently lifting the four-year-old up into his arms and walking across the room to sit in the armchair. His son snuggled into his chest hugging him tightly. "Why'd yoo leave, Daddy? Why'd yoo always leave? Dont'cha like me an' mummy anymore?"

Squall looked down at him in shock. That was exactly what Squall had wished to ask Ellone if she ever came back to the orphanage, she didn't which was why Squall had turned out the way he had, he didn't wish that for his son, but then again even if he didn't come back, supposing he died in battle, Rinoa would be there to stop that shell forming. No, actually that was one of his greatest fears when entering battles, not being able to return home. It was a foreign feeling to him, one that had formed slowly over the seven years he had known Rinoa, the seven years in which he had a home, a real one.

"Of course I do," Squall said in a quiet gentle voice. "I more than like you and your mum. I..." he paused searching for words that his four year old son would understand. "You two are my most favourite things in the world, nothing compares to you."

The young boy lifted his head to look at his father, "Betta than coffee?" Squall pulled a disgusted face, he hated, absolutely _hated_ coffee. His son laughed, "Betta than sleepin'" Squall nodded, "Better than sleeping, better than sleeping in. I said nothing compares."

Squall talked to him quietly as he held him closely and stroked his hair. After a while the kid yawned and Squall insisted it was time for him to go to bed.

A while later Squall came back downstairs and knelt down in front of Rinoa again. He kissed her cheek and she slowly came awake. "Squall!" she threw her arms around his shoulders holding him tightly. "I missed you" her words muffled in Squall's shoulder. He held her tighter. Time passed and Squall eventually stood. Rinoa followed suit then wrapped her arms around his chest leaning her head on his shoulder. "When do you have to leave again?" Rinoa asked. "I don't know. Not for another four weeks, maybe more, unless XU calls." Rinoa smiled as she looked up into his icy blue eyes "Really?" He nodded and she leaned up and kissed him gently and slowly for the first time in four weeks. Squall smiled down at his beautiful wife for a minute before saying "...Hyne, it's been so long...I missed you...To tell the truth I don't think I'm anywhere near ready to leave you two again. I love you." Rinoa smiled, she never got tired of hearing him say it although admittedly he didn't say it that often, then replied "I love you too" as he leaned in to kiss her passionately. Together they lost themselves in the kiss before heading up to bed.

* * *

Rinoa awoke.

Rain poured, lightning flashed, thunder rumbled.

She looked beside her, panic rising within her as she realised Squall wasn't next to her in the middle of the night. Thunder rumbled and she suddenly had an idea of where he could be.

Climbing out of bed and pulling on one of Squall's shirts she made her way down stairs to find Squall with a frightened four year old. As she entered the room Squall looked up at her. She sat down on the seat next to him and he wrapped an arm round her, their son leaning on Squall's right side.

As she snuggled into his side she said, "Squall, I have something important to tell you." Squall looked at her curiously as she began to stammer and stutter. She was finding this harder than she did the first time. Squall shook his head and turned to look at his son as he continued to listen to her.

With him facing the opposite direction she found the task a lot easier. "Er...Squall, I'm pregnant."

Squall turned towards her, "What?" he asked with the hint of a smile.

"I'm pregnant" Rinoa repeated. Squall wrapped his arms round her careful not to wake up the boy on his other side. He whispered "that's great" in her ear; he felt her shiver and smiled. His fingers entwined in her hair, he shifted slightly, bringing himself closer to her without awakening their son. "How long?" Rinoa shook her head, "I don't know for sure, I found out the day after you left, which gives me a pretty good idea of when" she said fighting a blush, which Squall also found himself doing.

"...Well..." he said slowly, "You can't say that wasn't fun..." Rinoa laughed, Squall said things like that every now and then and well it seemed so against the character she had first got to know, "Squall! I can't believe you would say that in front of your son."

Squall looked to his right then back to Rinoa, "He's asleep. It can't scar him for life."

"I've missed you, I really have." Squall leant down to kiss her.

* * *

Squall awoke; looking to his right he saw the green numbers 7:37 flashing on the clocks display screen. At some point last night Rinoa and he had somehow managed to put their son to bed and return to bed themselves, but Squall would be damned if he knew how.

He looked to his left; the vacant space beside him told him Rinoa was up already, so it was her he had to thank for being woken up so early.

It had always been the case with him ever since he and Rinoa first shared a bed back at garden when she had had a series of nightmares over a period of three weeks, as soon as she had woken up and left the room to get changed before returning he was awake. He had never been quite sure why his brain and body insisted on waking whenever she left the bed if she had stayed with him the night before. He never woke up when she entered the room whilst he was sleeping which he would rather prefer; it always made him uncomfortable in a good way (if there was one) seeing her watching him when he first opened his eyes. He guessed it was because it reminded him of the first two months of him meeting her, when he was 17 years and eight months old and Rinoa just 17 and one month.

Sighing he found himself climbing out of bed and pulling on his clothes that had been strewn across the bedroom floor the night before, to be honest he didn't remember that either. His brain was weird that way, once he went passed a certain point of tiredness his memory just seemed to stop recording.

Opening the door he stumbled out onto the landing rubbing at his eyes in the adorable way that was Squall's. Well it had previously been just Squall's but it seemed his son had adopted the trait as Rinoa had pointed out to both him and Edea half a year ago.

Rinoa smiled as she left the bedroom, glancing back to see Squall shift slightly and just before the door fully closed his eyes fluttered open and glared at the clock.

As she started down the stairs she heard a bedroom door open, glancing behind her she saw her son poking his head round the doorframe. Beckoning to him she resumed her climb down the stairs and entered the kitchen to make breakfast.

She had just finished serving the food and was placing it on to the table when Squall stumbled tiredly into the kitchen and took a seat.

"…Rinoa?" He asked.

"Hmmm?"

"…Would it kill you to wake up later?" he paused, "Would it kill you to stay in bed, once you wake up?" He was aware he was being irritable but she was smiling at him so he guessed it was okay to continue.

"Morning Squall. Didn't we try that once before? And didn't the same thing happen every morning?"

"…Well, yeah… But when has that been a bad thing?"

Rinoa smiled at him affectionately, shaking her head she said, "It hasn't nor ever will be. But if we did it your way constantly we'd end up with 20 kids." She walked around the table to come to stand behind him, her hands resting on his shoulders.

"Your exaggerating, I'm not here nearly enough for that." he paused and far more seriously continued, "I spend more time away than I do here, don't I?"

Rinoa leant forward, wrapping her arms round his neck. "Your here enough...Your son loves you, absolutely adores you, you've been here enough."

Squall nodded almost absentmindedly, "I've been here enough for him." It was almost a question. _But, Rinoa, have I been here enough for you?_

Rinoa almost heard him ask the question, she knew him that well. "Eat your breakfast, Squall. I'll go find our son."

* * *

Squall stood staring out into the night, looking past the fields beside Balamb town to the stars. He was so deep in thought he wasn't aware of two people watching him from inside.

He had made a decision; he had put work before everything all his life, most of the time because he had nothing else. But now, he had Rinoa, he had one son another child on the way, he had a family. He was happy when he was here, but the thing that kept him going on missions, or rather things were that one, he was still terrified of getting too used to them being around in case he lost them and two, because he liked to think he was making a difference, that he was important. But he had now decided, or was quite sure that if he hadn't decided yet he had decided to decide.

The phone rang and Rinoa glanced behind her to the hallway, she held up a finger to her son motioning that she would be back in one minute. Picking up the phone she asked, "Hello?" feeling very depressed all of a sudden. Most probably because all phone calls or most of them anyway, were for Squall concerning work. She was rather put out that he had said four weeks or so and it had barely been one.

"Hello, Rinoa?"

"Who else, XU? Squall, right?"

"Yes, please."

Rinoa walked into the fields to get Squall, which proved to take longer than she had thought. She ended up waving a hand in front of his face before he swatted it away with a small smile.

Rinoa watched as he answered the phone, he was talking too quietly for her to overhear. Then suddenly the conversation stopped and Squall looked straight at her for a while before replying and hanging up the phone. He immediately went into deep thought, which Rinoa quickly snapped him out of.

"When do you leave?" She asked unable to keep the sadness she felt from her voice.

"Well, I have to go into work tomorrow morning and then..." _if I change my mind, tomorrow night_. "…No...wait, no forget everything I've said."

Rinoa laughed, "Squall, think, then tell me, okay?"

Squall thought then said, "Okay. Don't make any plans for tomorrow...don't make any plans what so ever. And I'm going to work, now I think." Squall then nodded to himself as if confirming that his answer was corresponded correctly with the one in his head.

Rinoa looked distressed, "When will you be back?"

"Late, I think. I'm sorry, but I'm positive you'll thank me in the end." He kissed her, a rare thing, before turning to his son and kneeling down before him. He whispered a goodnight before kissing his cheek and leaving through the front door.

"Mummy, Daddy's leaving again. But he said...that he likes us both more than coffee, more than sleepin' in."

Rinoa smiled, "He does. Trust me. Now off to bed with you. It's late."

* * *

Squall entered his house it was pitch-black. Rinoa hadn't waited up. Or maybe she had but had grown too tired, it was 2:30 in the morning after all. He stumbled his way through the darkness and into the front room, switching on the light he glanced towards the sofa. No Rinoa, but a half empty cup of tea stood on the coffee table. He picked it up to find it luke warm, she had only gone to bed in the last hour or so then. He switched off the light and made his way up the stairs.

He stopped at the top of the stairs glancing between his own bedroom door and his son's. Resisting his urge to fall into bed where Rinoa was already fast asleep he made his way into his son's bedroom. Kneeling in the dark beside the young boys bed, he placed his fingertips gently against his face, whispering, "Hey."

The child's bright blue eyes opened tiredly, "Daddy?" he muttered barely audible. Squall smiled at him regrettably for waking him up. "Hey, just wanted to let you know I'm back. Sorry to wake you, go back to sleep." The boy smiled, "You're back? Yoo didn't lie then. We are the best in the world."

Squall smiled, he had been doing that a lot lately and could tell he would be doing it a lot in the future. His family knew he had a warm heart but at Garden, out on his missions, they still believed him a lone wolf, if not quite as much as before.

He hugged his son, whispered his goodnight while messing up the boy's hair and retreated to the door. The young boy watched him, only allowing himself to fall asleep when he noticed that Squall still stood by the door.

Squall shut the door behind him, knowing that what he had just done for his son, Ellone would have done for him if ever she came back. Told him immediately.

Rinoa awoke to Squall shifting his weight into a more comfortable position; she turned to him and smiled. Moving up close to him, her head leaning against his bare chest. She breathed in deep before falling back to sleep, wrapped safely in his arms.


	2. Past

_This doesn't count as one of the parts, just so you know. It's just to give a little more detail to those three weeks that Squall thinks about in part one. Thanks for your reviews and the name ideas. I'm about a third into part two!

* * *

Memory/past _

_Squall awoke to an insistent yet hesitant light knocking on his door, and with a drowsy sense of hearing he heard a soft voice saying "Squall? Squall! Please, wake up. Please, please."_

_Rinoa, he thought groggily as he tiredly pushed aside the blanket that covered him, an action that seemed to require a lot of energy that he didn't have. He half walked, half stumbled to the door from his bed. His fingers fumbled on the latch he very rarely used and the door opened slowly inwards._

_"Squall!" Rinoa exclaimed softly throwing her arms around him, he simply looked at her, only wrapping his arms around her when he realised that there was a steady stream of tears running down her cheeks and that she was unlikely to let go soon._

_Eventually she stepped back shuffling her feet embarrassedly "I er-" Her eyes suddenly caught on his bare chest making her hesitate._

_"Rinoa? What do you want? It's the middle of the night." Squall asked only slightly irritably, he didn't like being woken but he could tell she was upset about something._

_"Well, I, er," She couldn't help but feel embarrassed and slightly stupid about the fear she had felt just moments before, she felt entirely safe now. "I, er, had a nightmare and well I ran straight here."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because you always make me feel safe."_

_"Squall?"_

_"...It's just a nightmare, Rinoa… Go back to sleep."_

_"I...I know it's stupid and it's just a nightmare, but I can't help it...I was so scared...I don't think I can go back... Can't I ...maybe ...stay here?" She asked, desperately trying to avoid his eyes._

_"What?...?...why?" was as much as Squall could ask in his tired and slightly stunned state._

_"Because you make me feel safe and I don't think I'll be able to sleep unless I feel safe. Squall, please?"_

_"..." Squall didn't answer immediately; he placed a hand on his forehead as he thought. He was silent for a long time allowing Rinoa the time to find her courage. She leant forward so that she could see his face. "...If I let you in will I be able to go back to sleep?" _

_"Of course!" She said jumping up and down, "I promise not to talk you to death."_

_Squall feeling slightly more awake answered, "...And you don't snore?"_

_"Squall!"_

_Squall turned his back on her walking back to his bed taking her indignation as a no, leaving the door standing open. She counted herself lucky that she didn't snore._

_Squall had climbed back into bed and closed his eyes when he felt rather than heard Rinoa enter the room quietly shutting the door behind her and approaching the bed. She stood at the side for a minute or two, Squall made no sign that he noticed. But after the second minute he made an annoyed noise and gripped gently onto her hand pulling her towards him. She got the point and climbed into the bed, surprised that Squall of all people was sharing his bed with her very almost willingly._

_"I'm not letting you sleep on the floor, and there is no way I am allowing you to wake me in the middle of the night then steal my bed, so go to sleep." Squall said._

_Rinoa grinned she couldn't help it, she felt so happy. She shifted making herself comfortable; causing him to open his eyes and give her an annoyed glance. She stopped and murmured softly, "Goodnight, Squall." before falling fast asleep. _

_Squall blinked, shook his head and closed his eyes, but he was far from falling asleep. He shifted uncomfortably, causing Rinoa beside him to move in her sleep. He didn't like this, there was no way he could ever sleep like this, he found himself thoroughly aware of Rinoa beside him, his ears picking up her every breath._

_She moved beside him and Squall froze as she leaned her head against his bare shoulder and wrapped a warm arm across his stomach. And somehow, he was never quite sure how, he managed to fall asleep…Somehow_

_

* * *

He awoke the next morning with sunlight streaming in through his window, landing on the pillow next to his head. He glanced around his room wondering why he was sleeping right up next to the wall. At least he attempted to but his eyes fell on Rinoa, the sunlight making her hair shine. When she saw he was awake she knelt down beside the bed. "Oh, I didn't mean to wake you! I... I... thank you, for last night Squall. It was the best night's sleep I've had in ages…since my mum died." _

_Squall who decided it was too early too speak, looked at her, his eyes catching on hers. She simply looked straight back into his clear blue eyes. But that's exactly what she noticed, his eyes were clear, for the first time she could see clearly into his soul, into him, the guard, it was missing. However before she could put words to what she saw or understand it, he blinked and looked away. _

_Rinoa felt herself release a breath that she hadn't realised she had been holding. "I'm going to go change, then I'll be back, I promise." Rinoa then, with a sudden courage, moved his hair out of his eyes and kissed his cheek before standing and exiting the room just short of a run. _

_Squall stared after her stunned, and then after a minute or two convinced himself he was dreaming. Reality would never put him into such an uncomfortable situation as last night and Rinoa looked far more uncomfortable than usual too._

_

* * *

Rinoa broke into a run the second she left his room. She could never be sure of Squall's reaction when she did that sort of thing, the "girlfriend actions" if she put it in Irvine's language. It thoroughly depended on the events before. If the event before was a crying girlfriend terrified of nightmares she suspected he would be fine with it but if it was girlfriend very nearly seeing what he wasn't ready to tell she suspected he'd be far from fine. _

_Sighing she opened her door before slipping inside._

_

* * *

The next three weeks were frequented with the same type of visits although by the end of the first week Squall had taken to wearing more clothes to bed each night and by half way through the second week Squall always left the door unlocked. _

_He would awake in the mornings to either find Rinoa sleeping next to him or at various stages of leaving the room. _

_By the end of the second week he no longer found it a surprise to wake up to her although that bothered him. She wouldn't be staying with him as soon as these nightmares stopped so he shouldn't get used to it. _

_By the third week he sometimes wasn't aware that Rinoa was there until waking up and seeing her in his room._

_But as those three weeks went past, Squall couldn't help but suspect that on a least two of the occasions that she had come to his room she hadn't had nightmares. Her knock at his door was neither hesitant nor insistent. And as for the times he was asleep when she came _

_Memory/past

* * *

_

Was that easier to read? 


	3. Part Two: Away from home

_Rinoa awoke to Squall shifting his weight into a more comfortable position; she turned to him and smiled. Moving up close to him, her head leaning against his bare chest. She breathed in deep before falling back to sleep wrapped safely in his arms.

* * *

_

Married Life

Rinoa stirred, her eyes fluttering open softly. She felt a tugging at her waist and turned her head to look behind her. She smiled when she saw Squall tugging her closer to him in his sleep; she had always thought he was adorable when he was sleeping. She loved watching him, he was so peaceful and it was during these times when he was fast sleep that he showed the most open affection, well when he was asleep and when they were...She smiled to herself, placing her hand lightly on her stomach where she knew their child was growing.

She wished she could watch Squall now, it was always so relaxing, but she felt so tired. Twisting her head back round she drifted back off to sleep only to reawaken when Squall removed his arms from around her and rolled onto his back. She glanced back at him and sighed disappointedly.

After laying there for a while and when it was apparent he wasn't going to cuddle her again she made a move to get out of bed. She was barely at the edge when Squall's arm pulled her back. Turning to look at him, she allowed herself to be pulled back in.

"Squall?" she asked. He shook his head, pulling her tight against him before burying his head in the crook of her neck. His breath tickling her skin so much she couldn't suppress a giggle. Squall made no sign that he had heard.

Rinoa pulled away from him, turning around so that she could see his face she asked, "So what was all that about last night? Why did you have to see Xu? Are you going on a mission?"

Squall groaned mumbling about it being too early in the morning and that she should go back to sleep, but even as he did so he prised his eyes open to look her in the eye. He sighed, "When did I say I was going to go see Xu? I did but...no. I'm not going on a mission."

"You're not! Really?" a surprised Rinoa asked cheerfully, "So then...what was last night about?"

"Xu wanted me to go to FH for something, but in short I don't want to."

Rinoa stared at him, "You declined a mission? You? You've never done that before."

"It's because I can't take it anymore, I can't take the long weeks away…not anymore. I asked Xu if I could become an inactive commander, I will still continue working but I'd stay in Garden."

Rinoa was far happier than she could have ever expressed in words. "And when did you decide this?"

"Last night, before the phone call from Xu." she had wondered what he had been thinking about. "But just because I'm not working doesn't mean I'm not going anywhere, because I am."

"You are" there was evident disappointment in her voice.

"Yeah...but you and Storm are coming with me."

"Really? Where?"

Squall shook his head slightly she was like a kid sometimes, he found it not exactly endearing but he was sure it was something a long those lines. "Tell you at breakfast, go to sleep."

"But Squall, I should be preparing breakfast now. Let me leave." He just held her tighter it made her laugh. After a time he let her go and got up himself but only, he assured her, because he was in desperate need of the bathroom.

Rinoa laughed quietly to herself as she left her bedroom, watching Squall getting dressed as she closed the door. She smiled and shook her head as she made her way down the stairs thinking about Squall and how...content and happy he looked this morning. She couldn't place the reason, she decided it could either be the fact that he wasn't leaving for long periods of time for a few months or that he actually got his wish since he had arrived home, which was to wake in the morning next to her instead of having to glare at the alarm clock. Or, she thought, it could be both, which is why it was so easily noticeable.

Sighing she began to cook the breakfast, still finding it difficult to break her thoughts away from her husband. She found it amazing, she had known him for seven years and yet still...it was as though she had met him not all that long ago, he was still new to her and yet at the same time extremely familiar and she loved it.

* * *

Squall stood watching Rinoa who was lost in her thoughts as she cooked. He loved watching her, he was always slightly wary of doing so though. He couldn't help but feel embarrassed, even now, if she caught him staring.

The frying pan his wife was holding began to spit and she took no notice. Smiling slightly, Squall strode forward and gently prised her hand off of the handle before placing it to one side. He turned to Rinoa who blinked coming back to reality and watched as he wiped her hand clean of the bacon's fat with a damp cloth.

She smiled at him, apologising for not paying attention. Squall shook his head, silently telling her not to be stupid before asking, "What were you thinking about that got you so distracted anyway?" with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Rinoa sighed, guessing there was nothing for it. She smiled with a reminiscent shyness of the seventeen year old who was unsure of Squall's reaction and said, "I was thinking about you actually. So I guess we only have you to blame."

Squall looked genuinely surprised at her answer, "really?.. I guess so," he said, seriously taking the blame. Rinoa smiled looking him in the eye, he was always so serious even when she was toying with him. She watched as he leant towards her, his fingertips resting lightly on her cheek and his other hand gripping her shoulder gently, before closing her eyes in anticipation of his kiss. There was a pause where she felt and heard nothing. Then she felt the barest of touches as Squall murmured, "Sorry for distracting you." against her lips before kissing her fully.

Squall broke away from her when he heard footsteps and turned his head in the direction of the door. His son appeared in the doorway, rubbing at his eyes. Squall released Rinoa's arm and knelt down on one knee. The boy sprinted towards him. Upon reaching his father he threw his arms around his neck and Squall stood up instantly. One of his arms was supporting the boy while the other was wrapped around his back.

The boy snuggled into his chest and Squall smiled down at him. Rinoa couldn't help but smile too as she watched them both before she kissed her son's cheek and turned to Squall, "What is up with you lately, your smiling so much?" she asked him warmly, hoping he wouldn't take offence. He did sometimes and it was usually to the strangest things.

Squall tore his eyes away from his son and looked at Rinoa, "...I...I didn't realise I was, not much anyway...I guess I just feel like it."

"Well it has been seven years Squall," she kissed him on the cheek before whispering, "it's about time" and moving away to lay the table.

Squall glared at her just as she knew he would but let it pass; he knew she didn't mean anything by it.

Hoisting his son back up, higher into his arms, he muttered, "Hyne, you're getting heavy" and walked over to the table placing him in a chair before taking his own seat.

"Well?" Rinoa asked, lying the breakfast upon the table.

Squall frowned slightly before shrugging and asking, "Well, what?"

Taking her seat next to her confused husband and opposite her son, she rolled her eyes. "Where are we going?" she asked excitedly.

The four year old looked up from his food curiously, Squall glanced at him before giving Rinoa a "Now you've done it" glance, or at least he intended to but when he turned back to Rinoa he found her smiling brightly as she watched him intently, looking far better than beautiful, which made it impossible to even pretend to be annoyed at her.

He sighed looking down at the table, "Well…" he told her his idea and assured her, the neighbour wouldn't mind looking after the house for a while.

"What about your work?"

"Er…that was another reason why I went to see Xu actually." He confessed.

* * *

Storm jumped off his chair and ran down the hallway. Squall and Rinoa also stood from their chairs, smiling lightly at his eagerness.

As they left the kitchen Squall grabbed hold of Rinoa's hand. She glanced at him before softly saying, "I think this is a great idea, Squall."

"…"Squall opened his mouth to reply but the words he intended to say got lost along the way, changing into a monotonous "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Look at him," just as the words left her lips the young boy tripped up the stairs. He picked himself up and carried on his climb as though nothing had happened. Rinoa shook her head, hoping he was okay. "He's really happy. He loves it there and his grandfathers going to be there-" she was interrupted by a dead weight on her shoulder and could have sworn she heard Squall mutter, "Hyne help me!"

"-He'll meet three people he is very fond of and has only met twice before one of which he was too young to remember." Rinoa continued. She remembered that time fondly, they had all came to visit her a few days after Storm was born. Laguna had been so happy that he kept knocking things flying as he jumped around excitedly.

Squall lifted his forehead up off of her shoulder, "And you? What about you, Rinoa?" He felt she was avoiding it.

Rinoa smiled shyly, trying not to let his looking at her intently bother her, well at least not let it show, "Well, with three other people to look after him, three more people for him to vie for attention from, I thought that we could spend time together…you've been so busy these past few months. So you know…just the two of us."

"The three of us," Squall corrected without thinking, his mind somewhere else.

Rinoa frowned in confusion, wondering whether he was paying attention to what she was saying, for a moment then it dawned on her. She looked down at her slightly swelling stomach and with a dazed yet happy smile said, "Right. The three of us."

* * *

Rinoa sat gazing out the train window to the stormy weather outside. She was lost in thoughts of times that were seven years past. Her mind replaying all those light hearted moments they had shared in such dark times, all the times she had found Squall being the sweet, kind guy she had described him as.

Sighing she pulled her gaze to the inside of the carriage. Squall lay the full length of the sofa in the SeeD cabin, completely passed out. He looked very similar to how she had found him in time compression yet more comfortable as he wasn't sleeping on rocky ground.

Storm was fast asleep in the top bunk, snoring very softly from a newly developing cold.

Rinoa sighed, Squall insisted she had the other bunk but in all honesty she had trouble sleeping without him, she even told Selphie as much, albeit reluctantly, the last time she had seen her after she had been paid the compliment, "Rinoa, you look terrible. Have you been sleeping ok?"

It was a dependency that had grown when she had had that series of nightmares. She had enjoyed the feeling of his strong warm arms wrapped around her when she woke, the feel of laying either on or pressed up against his chest and how sometimes their legs intertwined. Of course Squall didn't know about any of that for they never fell asleep like it and Rinoa was usually already out of bed by the time he woke.

Very reluctantly she climbed into the bottom bunk, suppressing a yawn as the train smoothly followed its pre-determined path to Esthar along the newly reopened tracks from Fisherman's Horizon.

* * *

Rinoa opened her eyes to see blue icy eyes in front of her. They blinked and pulled back. She smiled contently, "Squall" she whispered.

"Finally," he said, amusement evident in his voice and eyes, "I thought you'd never wake up. I've been shaking you for the last five minutes."

She closed her eyes gently, feeling herself falling asleep again when – "Hey! Don't go falling asleep on me again." Squall said softly. "I'm running out of ideas of how to wake you." He gripped her hand and pulled her gently from the bed, "come on, get dressed, we'll be there in a few hours."

"You couldn't have woken me when it is minutes?" she asked. At the look he gave her she began to get dressed, changing out of one of Squalls shirts and into her clothes.

After a while he said, "I wouldn't chance it. Wouldn't know if I could wake you in time." She looked over to him to see he was smiling slightly.

"What about Storm, shouldn't we wake him?" Rinoa asked looking up to the top bunk.

"No, not yet. We can wake him when it's a matter of minutes." She turned to him, a look of playful indignation on her face. He smiled at her, "I _know_ how to wake him."


	4. memory

_Hey guys, this is just another background piece, i just really love writing them. i really don't want to write the last part 'cos its the last part but don't worry i am writing it, it has to be perfect however and will most probably be three times as long as the whole story is now, if it goes to plan anyway._

_Make sure you read the last chapter again if you haven't since it was first posted as i added more to the end. Thanks for reading and reviewing, Khawk.

* * *

_

Memory/Past

_Rinoa jumped, the sound of the doorbell startling her. Frowning and wondering who it could be she made her way out into the hall, noticing only the silence. She found it very depressing._

_She opened the door to find Selphie grinning cheerfully the other side. "Mrs Leonhart," she greeted with mock solemnity. Rinoa couldn't suppress a smile, it felt great to be called that, Mrs Leonhart, she sighed dreamily._

"_Rinny!" Selphie exclaimed as she jumped forward to hug her breaking Rinoa away from her thoughts. Rinoa hugged her before Selphie suddenly pulled back asking, "What's wrong. You've been crying!" _

_Rinoa cursed silently, she had forgotten about her anguish from the moment she had heard Selphie's voice, although she vaguely wondered if it were the words and not her voice that caused her to forget. By the time Rinoa thought to reply to her question she found that her short friend had directed her to the sofa and in the process invited herself in and even then the enthusiastic young woman spoke first._

"_You and Squall haven't broken up, have you?"_

_Rinoa shook her head, surprised that that was Selphie's first question. She was always being told that her and Squall were great together and that people wished they had as great a relationship with their partners as she had with Squall. Although they argued only a little less than the average couple the problem was always resolved quickly and Rinoa had always put down the reasoning for that as Squall being such a good listener. And having said all that she had never even thought that she and he might break up otherwise she wouldn't have married him._

"_Argued?"_

_Rinoa shook her head again. Then after a pause she said, "He's away on a mission." in hopes that she would take the hint that it had nothing to do with him._

"_Oh," Selphie said knowingly, "So you miss him."_

_Rinoa sighed, "No," She frowned, "I mean of course I do, but that's not why I'm upset."_

_Selphie sighed, throwing up her hands, "Then why?"_

"_Angelo died the other day. I've had her for so long, well five years. We've been through so much together and now I'm on my own, it's so depressing."_

"_You're not alone, you have Squall," Selphie pointed out._

_Rinoa laughed slightly, "I do have Squall," it made her smile, "but I meant when he's away."_

"_Oh," Selphie sounded dismal; it was quite upsetting which is why Rinoa was always glad that she never stayed that way for long. Selphie was as optimistic as Squall was pessimistic. "Well you could always get a new pet, not necessarily a dog."_

_Rinoa shook her head; "I don't think a new pet would be a good idea just now, maybe in two years or so."_

"_Why so long?" Rinoa didn't answer, so she continued, "Well I could always come round and keep you company while he's away. I'd be more than happy to get away from Irvy for a while and I'm sure he can make lunch himself."_

"_Really? He won't mind?" Rinoa asked getting up and walking over to the window to open it. _

_Selphie watched her as she said, "Yeah but he'll get over it…Rinoa, are you getting fat?"_

_Rinoa froze, blushed then turned to look at her friend before quietly saying, "Er…I'm pregnant Selph."_

_Selphie stared in shock before bounding from her seat, "Are you serious!" and hugged her.

* * *

_

"_So when's Squall getting back," Selphie asked as she lazily placed her mug on the table._

" _A few days he said yesterday but I wont believe it until I see him, it changes so often these days."_

"_Well order him to come home, then. Men always let their wives get their own way in the beginning."_

_Rinoa shook her wondering what world Selphie lived in and if it was possible to go there, "Really?" she asked sceptically. "Well Irvine always does what you say, when did you two get married then, or is it when will?"_

_Selphie waved her off, throwing a cushion at her. _

"_Have you seen Quistis lately?" Rinoa asked suddenly, "I haven't seen her since my wedding."_

"_Yeah, I saw her for about thirty seconds the other day. She said she was going to come round to see you but was running late, said she was going to try again later this week."_

_Rinoa nodded happily, "Would be nice to have the three of us together for a while."_

"_Yeah," Selphie grinned, "And we could talk about this new baby of yours."

* * *

_

_Squall sighed as he placed the receiver down, hanging up on Irvine's crude jokes about him getting Rinoa, his wife Squall had to remind him, pregnant. Irritably he wondered how Irvine had found out in the first place and when the phone next rang and he discovered Rinoa was at the other end he asked her tiredly._

"_I'm sorry." He heard her sincere voice say, "Irvine's giving you a hard time? Selphie said I was getting fat and I couldn't have her thinking that. What with her being SeeD and therefore caring about fitness and all that."_

"_No, of course you couldn't." He said sarcastically._

"_Meany!"_

_Squall laughed slightly, shaking his head, she hadn't called him that in some time._

_There was a silence that lasted a few minutes, both content with just knowing the other was on the other end of the line. _

_Squall opened his mouth, hesitated then said, "Rinoa, I might be coming home a few days later than I said."_

"_Oh," She sounded so sad and yet not in the least bit surprised, "Okay."_

"_I will be home soon, I promise."_

"_Yeah I know," She sighed, "Soon just seems to last forever."_

"_I know the feeling."_

_Rinoa sat up straighter on her end of the phone, "Do you?"_

_Squall sighed, rolled his eyes and changed the subject, "How are you doing Rinoa?" He wondered how hard she was taking Angelo's death. _

"_Okay, I guess. I've had Selphie here, but I guess you already knew that with Irvine and everything. She's really good at keeping my mind on other things when she's here." She yawned, "I really don't think I can stay up any longer, I really should be going to bed."_

_He sighed, "I guess this is good night then." He sounded as though he was about to say something else but nothing came._

_Rinoa smiled, "Good night." and hung up the phone still smiling as she realised that despite being married and soon to be a father Squall was still having problems talking and sharing his feelings. She climbed up the stairs to her bed._

_Squall growled annoyed at himself as he hung up the phone, sometimes he just froze and he figured that the only time he could actually tell her how he felt was when he did it without realising or when it seemed so natural._

_They both curled up into their beds that night unable to sleep, Rinoa was counting the seconds Squall, however, was silently cursing himself for being so tired when Rinoa first sort his bed some years ago because of her nightmares. It had made sleeping difficult and a chore, he no longer enjoyed sleep although he also thought that might have been because he was fast approaching the end of his teenage years, his twentieth birthday being a matter of weeks away._

_When he realised that there was definitely no sleep to be had that night he returned to his desk, deciding to finish as much paper work as was possible so that he might make it back on time after all._


End file.
